Fez – Moroccans prefer foreign clothing products and spend a relatively small amount on their annual clothes purchases a new study has found.
Frustrated with the country’s low-quality products and lack of originality, Moroccans stress the importance of these criteria in terms of clothes shopping. These are the conclusions of a recent study on Moroccans purchase behavior with regard to clothing products. The study highlighted that only a quarter of the respondents favor Moroccan clothing products.
The study conducted by Moroccan Denim and Fashion Cluster (MDFC) aimed to investigate Moroccans‘ purchasing behavior towards Moroccan clothing products.
Through this survey, MDFC sought to theorize a production model that may provide supply for the country’s apparel market and hence push forward the “made in Morocco” brand.
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In its published findings, the study observed that almost 47% of the participants spend a yearly amount of less than 1000 MAD (US $108) on clothes. A quarter of the participants indicated they spend between 1000-3000 MAD (US $108-326) on clothes each year. The remaining quarter stated that they spend more than 3000 MAD (US $ 326) a year on clothes.
The study revealed interesting statistics regarding the gender of respondents who tend to spend more than 1000 MAD yearly on clothing purchase.
Departing from the perceived social norm, men tended to spend a little more than women. For instance, 58% spend more than 1000 MAD every year, compared to only 46% of women.
Concerning the frequency of clothes’ purchase each year, half of the recipients (50%) declared that they buy clothes three times per year while the other half indicated that they purchase clothes at least four times per year, the study outlined.
On the other hand, the study found a direct correlation between the respondents’ socio-economic status and the place they tend to buy clothes from.
For the most well-off, malls take first place, followed by the internet and then purchasing directly from abroad. While for those with average income, local markets known as “Kissariat” are given priority followed by nearby stores and then the internet.
Meanwhile, regarding familiarity with Moroccan clothing brands, 55% demonstrated their knowledge of such clothing brands. Among many Moroccan clothing brands, Marwa, Diamantine, and Keito got the lion’s share of responses.
Yet, these products received average responses in terms of quality, price, design, choice, and originality as only a quarter of the respondents prefer Moroccan products.
More interestingly, the study found that more than 50% of respondents with low income showed no knowledge of the suggested Moroccan clothing products.
This could be due to the high prices by which these brands label their products, often well above the country’s middle-class purchasing power. Hence, this indicator may provide the said clothing brands with the opportunity to rethink their sales strategies.
Through exploring the respondents’ perceptions of Moroccan clothing products, the study aims to pinpoint the deficit areas that weaken the country’s clothing products competitiveness in the face of the current invasion of foreign brands, especially Turkish clothing products.
